Articles

by Donna Rotherthttp://seeingthestrals.com   “If we knew each other’s secrets, what comforts we should find.”  John Churton Collins “You know what truly aches?  Having so much inside you and not having the slightest clue of how to pour it out.”  Karen Quan, Write Like No One is Reading   Years ago, sometime after I became an adult, but before I had experienced much in the way of loss, I had a doctor’s appointment with someone who was covering for my regular provider....

by Nancy Berns In a world upended, hurting, and fearful, the pressure is mounting.  As anxiety and tension escalate, we all need to become better listeners. The ability to listen to someone helps that person release the pressure that builds up inside. We can think about stress and anxiety as pressure that needs to escape. In various types of equipment, a relief valve is used to release the pressure that builds up over time. If the pressure is not reduced,...

By Zoe Rockes Years ago, I fell head over heels for an extraordinary human.  On the outside she was confident and kind, but underneath she was struggling.  She shared her broken pieces with me, and I, in turn, learned to share my own.  She made me feel invincible and not so alone in the world.  The timing was all wrong though.  As quickly as she came into my life, she was gone, leaving me drowning in hurt and confusion.  I...

by Julie Gentz The past weekend was filled with family and many wonderful new memories. My oldest stayed overnight and we cooked meals ahead for my granddaughter who is returning to college. It was also “sleep over time at grandma’s” with my 7 and 4 year old grandsons. And, while all of it added up to a lot of activity in two short days, it was an oasis of joy and a touch of normalcy in a world besieged by...

by Angela Miller It’s inside the spaces– the pauses– the infinite stillness– that I most palpably feel the emptiness you’ve left behind. It’s the silence of your missing voice that screams the loudest. It’s every holiday that’s impossible to truly celebrate. It’s the painfully absent goodnight routine. It’s the missing you in every picture of our forever-one-too-small family. It’s the one less set of hands tugging on my shirt. It’s the one missing set of lips not kissing mine. It’s...

song by Patrick DroneyString of lights on the doorWelcome back to your lifeThis is worth living forThere's so much left in storeAnd we don'tGet to chooseWho we get to loveOr who it is we're gonna loseOr what breaks our hearts in twoBut no one really dies if the love remains'Cause nothing that dies really goes awaySee grief, it's just like glitterIt's hard to brush awayBright light and it still shimmersLike it was yesterdayAnd it falls like confettiAll of the memories...

by Julie Gentzhttps://timeinabottle.blog "Grief is like glitter. You can throw a handful of glitter into the air, but when you try to clean it up, you'll never get it all. Even long after the event, you will still find glitter tucked into corners. it will always be there . . . somewhere."  Quote by @irish_cuchulainnSaturday, October 1, 2022Dear Brian,Today you have been gone for a year and a half:18 months;540 days;12,960 hours. Sometimes it seems like an eternity. Other times,...

By Judith Timson It was my husband who set me off this year. We were doing a drive-by look at the just beginning to twinkle holiday lights and he sighed and said: “I miss your Mom.” Me too. Funny how some holiday seasons have more grief bubbling to the surface than others. My mother has been gone almost 11 years, so being without her this time of year is not new. She lived until she was 90, was one of my...

My greatest fear is that the world will eventually forget about my daughter, Katie. This weekend marks four years since she walked out the door and never came home. People surround you with love and compassion when your child dies, but then their lives and responsibilities pull them back to their own worlds. Over time, people retreat and they stop saying your child's name. Is it because they think it will hurt us? Or do they truly forget that our...

by Cremation Asheshttps://ashescremationurn.com The anniversary of a loved one’s death doesn't have to be a day of only sadness. Despite the pain the anniversary of a death holds, it’s also an opportunity to think about the fond and funny moments they brought to your life and thank them for the good times. There is no single way to mark an anniversary. We’ve put together 10 ways to honour a loved one on the anniversary of their death, to help you find the option...

by Eleanor Haleyhttps://whatsyourgrief.com The anniversary of my mother’s death, or her “deathiversary”, is closing in on me. I usually count on the foliage and cool fresh air to tip me off, but the beginning of Fall was so unseasonably warm this year, I hardly noticed. These last few days, though, they’ve played their part well, bringing a dark, wet, coldness that is unmistakenly autumn. For me, they also bring pangs of grief as I’m transported back in time to October...

by DaughtryToday could have been the dayThat you'd blow out your candlesMake a wish as you closed your eyesToday could have been the dayEverybody was laughingInstead I just sit here and cryWho would you be?What would you look likeWhen you looked at me for the very first time?Today could have been the next day of the rest of your lifeNot a day goes by that I don't think of youI'm always asking why this crazy world had to loseSuch a...